Mobile Research Techniques: Beyond the Basics

Studying mobile use in context can be tricky. Some desktop research strategies translate easily to mobile, but if you want to capture the way people really use mobile devices, you’re gonna need a bigger toolbox.

Cyd Harrell has the insider’s scoop on how to design and execute mobile research that gets you the most usable data for your money—in the lab or out in the field.

Great mobile research gets you more than just the A’s to your Q’s. It tells you whether the site, app, or product you’re building will actually solve the real-life problems your users face. Why settle for anything less?

Conduct mobile research in the lab

• Assess and adapt desktop research strategies
• Anticipate technological challenges (screen glare, camera angles, etc.)

Do mobile research in the field

• Preparing your field kit—and your participants
• Dealing with permissions, “crowd control,” and physical space

Deepen your research with long-term studies

• Use experience sampling and diary-type studies for a deeper understanding of participants’ lives
• Set expectations, send prompts and reminders, and reward participation

Choose and use participants—for optimal results

• Employ smart recruiting strategies to get the best people
• Make sure your study delivers robust, usable data

Attend this seminar if you want to:

• Avoid costly and time-consuming research pitfalls
• Bombproof your mobile research
• Try more innovative mobile research methods, but don’t know where to start

The field of mobile research is evolving at breakneck speed as companies respond to consumer demand. And for every research question that people want to solve, there’s a technology available to solve it. The trick is knowing how, when, and why to use each one.

If you’ve got the basics down, but want to uplevel your mobile research, spend an hour with Cyd Harrell and you’ll be well on your way.